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JAY D-I-Y: How to make your own window shutters

Board and batten window shutters can set you back nearly $200 for a single pair, but you can easily make your own for a lot less!

CLEVELAND — Some of you may know that woodworking has become one of my favorite hobbies - I've tackled all kinds of projects around my house, and I have learned a lot along the way.

So, I want to share some easy projects that are perfect to try out this summer, in a new series we're calling 'JAY D-I-Y.' And today, I'm going to tackle what might seem like a big project, but is actually incredibly easy! I'm going to show you how to make your own window shutters.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Note: It’s best to use cedarwood for outdoor shutters as they will hold up well to the varying weather elements.

  • Start by getting a measurement from the top of the window trim to the bottom. This will be the length of your shutters.
  • The width of the shutter is a matter of individual preference. Once you determine what you want the width to be divide that by three.
  • For instance, if your windows are 40 inches tall and you’d like the shutters to be 15 inches wide, your cut sheet for a pair of shutters would include 6 pieces of cedar cut 40 inches long and five inches wide.
  • Those are your vertical boards for the shutters.
  • For the horizontal boards, you would need four pieces of cedar cut 15 inches long and 5 inches wide as the horizontal boards should be the same width as the vertical boards for proper optics.
  • Then position three of the 40x5 inch boards side by side. Take the two horizontal boards and place them 8 inches from the tops and bottoms of the vertical boards. They can be nailed or screwed into place.
  • Repeat for the second shutter then paint or stain the color of your choice.

Good luck!

Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published in April 200.

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